Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to move the CLARITY Act toward a Senate floor vote before the August recess, a step that could require senators to publicly state their positions even if the crypto market structure bill cannot overcome a filibuster.

Thune is seeking action before lawmakers leave Washington for the summer break, despite uncertainty over whether the legislation can secure the 60 votes needed to advance. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, meaning they would need support from about seven Democrats if every GOP senator backs cloture.

A revised draft of the bill includes temporary ethics restrictions on digital asset activity by senior federal officials. Polymarket traders currently put the bill’s chance of becoming law in 2026 at about 33%.

Thune seeks to put senators on record over the CLARITY Act

Thune wants the Senate to begin considering the legislation before the August recess, according to Punchbowl News.

“I would like to at least get Clarity started. We’ll see where the votes are,” Thune said.

A floor vote would test whether months of negotiations have produced enough bipartisan support for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, formally known as H.R. 3633. It would also show which senators are responsible if the bill does not advance.

The House passed the CLARITY Act in July 2025 with bipartisan support. The Senate Banking Committee later advanced its portion of the legislation in a 15-9 vote in May 2026.

Senator Cynthia Lummis released an updated version on July 22 that combines proposals previously approved by the Senate Banking and Agriculture committees. That combination matters because the bill addresses both securities-market oversight and commodity-market oversight, the two areas at the center of the long-running jurisdictional debate over digital assets. The Senate is scheduled to remain in Washington until Aug. 7, leaving lawmakers a narrow window to debate amendments and hold procedural votes. Lummis’ office confirmed that the new text merges the work of the two committees.

JUST IN: Blockchain Association Crypto Council and Digital Chamber urge Senate on CLARITY Act The industry groups are calling for the legislation to advance pic.twitter.com/l7KSUwrOal — crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) July 25, 2026

Democratic votes remain the central obstacle

Republicans control 53 Senate seats, so the bill would need support from about seven Democrats to reach the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster, assuming all Republicans support it. In the Senate, that threshold can determine whether legislation moves into formal debate even before a final passage vote.

A group of seven Democratic senators led by Angela Alsobrooks has argued that the current proposal does not include sufficient consumer protection or safeguards against illicit finance. Ethics rules for senior government officials also remain unresolved.

The updated bill includes a temporary restriction that would prevent federal officials, including the president and vice president, from issuing or sponsoring digital assets. That provision is set to expire in 2029.

Lummis has acknowledged that negotiations must balance Democratic demands for stronger ethics rules with the risk of losing White House support. Senator Thom Tillis has also said lawmakers are “not quite there” on an ethics agreement.

Those divisions could leave Thune without enough votes to begin formal debate. Still, holding the vote would create a public record and increase pressure on undecided Democrats before the midterm election campaign intensifies.

Police union endorsement eases one source of resistance

Law-enforcement concerns have eased after the National Fraternal Order of Police reversed its earlier opposition and endorsed the revised bill.

As crypto.news reported, the union represents more than 382,000 members and changed its position after reviewing language connected to the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act. The group said the revised provisions preserve the ability of police and prosecutors to investigate crimes involving digital assets.

The police union’s letter also cited safeguards addressing fraud involving digital asset kiosks, as well as anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations.

The endorsement removes one point of resistance, but it does not resolve broader disputes over consumer protection, ethics rules and stablecoin rewards. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Fidelity and several crypto industry groups have called for the bill’s passage. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has also backed market structure legislation despite broader banking-sector concerns over stablecoin yields.

Failed vote could delay U.S. crypto rules

Supporters of the CLARITY Act say the legislation would set clearer boundaries between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It would also establish rules for digital commodities and certain noncustodial blockchain developers.

For U.S. crypto companies and investors, failure would leave major legislative questions unresolved, including token classification, exchange oversight and federal jurisdiction. Those questions have been central to disputes over which agency should supervise different types of tokens and trading venues. Agency guidance could still influence the market, but future administrations could revise those policies more easily than a law passed by Congress.

Senator John Kennedy has warned that the bill’s prospects will weaken if the Senate cannot secure a positive vote before the August break.

Prediction markets reflect the uncertainty. Polymarket traders currently assign the CLARITY Act about a 33% chance of becoming law during 2026, while Galaxy Research has lowered its estimate to 30%.

Thune’s planned vote could determine whether negotiations continue with renewed urgency or move into a midterm cycle with less Senate floor time and a more uncertain political balance.